DEON RIDLEY

We are thrillled that Deon will be our first Resident Broadway Guest Artist. Deon will join us in-person from August-December, 2021 to direct and choreograph, lead our dance program, and to coach our pre-professional students. 

Deon Ridley has performed both on and off Broadway. His Broadway Credits include: A Christmas Carol starring Frank Langella at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden and The Lion King, and Deon recently performed in the international tour of Chicago. In 2001 Deon performed with the King of Pop Michael Jackson at Madison Square Garden along with a line of celebrities including Whitney Houston, Usher, Jill Scott, Mya, Missy Elliott, Monica, Al Jerau, Deborah Cox and Gloria Gaynor for Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Celebration. Internationally, Deon has performed in many shows including Cats in Hamburg, Germany and has been featured in shows throughout Europe and Asia. On tour Deon has been seen in shows such as Damn Yankees and Fame the Musical. In 2003 Deon was featured as leading dancer and dance captain for Grammy Award Winning singer Celine Dion in her Las Vegas premiere show called A New Day at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with Director Franco Dragone and Emmy award winning choreographer Mia Michaels. Recent credits include the world premiere of Secondhand Lions the Musical at 5th Ave Theatre in Seattle with Emmy award winning choreographer Joshua Bergasse and The Wiz at Maltz Jupiter Theatre in Jupiter, Florida, Spamalot at the North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh, North Carolina. Deon was featured as a dancer for Netflix's hit series "The Get Down" and was also featured as a dancer for Weight Watchers commercial starring Ana Gesteyer. His work as a choreographer include having choreographed several music videos for recording artists in the entertainment industry and most recently Hairspray the Musical for Maltz Jupiter’s Conservatory for the Arts, Assistant Choreographer for NYU Tisch School for the Arts production of In the Heights, and Associate Choreographer for Meadow Brooks Theatre Production of Sistas the Musical in Rochester, Michigan. Deon has choreographed for events throughout Las Vegas with Marketing Entertainment Company Freestyle Xpressions choreographing for events such as opening night gala for Michael Jackson’s "This Is It" movie Premiere at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.

Deon has worked with DMR Adventures as the Director/Choreographer for the summer conservatory programs: Shrek The Musical JR (2017), and Guys and Dolls JR (2018), as well as a wide variety of virtual programs in 2020 and 2021. We are thrilled that Deon will be in residence with us in the Summer and Fall of 2021. He will be directing the summer 2021 productions of Willy Wonka KIDS and The Jungle Book KIDS and will be working alongside Matthew Steffens on the Broadway in Belmont team. This fall, Deon will be choreographing Aladdin KIDS and will be Directing & Choreographing Legally Blonde JR, our fall conservatory. In addition, Deon will lead our High School Pre-Professional Program (HSPP), and will teach many styles of dance, including tap, jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary.